No reduction in water tariffs for Cape Town

The tariffs are linked to water usage, which means that the more water a household uses the more that household will pay. File picture: Pixabay

Cape Town - Capetonians will continue to pay more for their water despite the city having postponed #DayZero to next year.

DA leader Mmusi Maimane announced last week that, through water saving and interventions by the drought task team, the city had defeated #DayZero, the day on which the taps would be turned off.

However, executive deputy mayor Ian Neilson said water tariffs would remain unchanged.

“The water tariffs are linked to level 6B water restrictions. Until such time as water restrictions are revised, the current tariff structure will remain in place,” he said.

Neilson manages the city’s drought-response team with mayoral committee member Xanthea Limberg, after the party stopped mayor Patricia de Lille from managing the water crisis.

He said continued low water consumption was still important even though #DayZero had been pushed back.

“If Capetonians do not abide by the 450ML/day limit imposed by the national Department of Water and Sanitation, our dam levels will once again start dropping more rapidly than they have over the past weeks, which would undermine all the good work we have done.

"So we need to ensure that everyone continues playing an active part in limiting their individual water consumption to 50 litres per person per day,” said Neilson.

Premier Helen Zille said recent developments on #DayZero were attributed to lower water consumption, water supply cuts to agricultural irrigation boards, and water donations from farmers.